Nivea Daily Protection Sun Lotion SPF 33 PA +++ (New)
65/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Daily Protection Sun Lotion is a chemical SPF 33 PA+++ lotion built on an older-generation filter blend of Octocrylene, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane. It wears light with a balanced finish and low white cast, and is generally low on the pore-clogging scale, though some users may notice mild stinging near the eyes. Protection is rated moderate and it sits okay under makeup. At 65.2/100 it is a basic everyday lotion that is outclassed by more modern formulas.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
55
- +16 Octocrylene at #2, UV filter
- +14 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid at #3, UV filter
- +28.5 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #4, UV filter (UVA1 +15.2)
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
- +2 Label claims (SPF 33, PA rating)
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
67
- +100 Starting score
- −18 Fragrance
- −12 Opaque "Fragrance", hidden allergens that can't be checked from the label
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
👻
White cast
Low
98
- +100 Starting score
- −2 Titanium Dioxide as pigment (CI 77891) at #15
🔥
Eye sting
Medium
43
- +100 Starting score
- −16 Avobenzone at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −22 Octocrylene at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −7 Ensulizole at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −4 Volatile alcohol at #10
- −8 Fragrance
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Comedogenic
Low
83
- +100 Starting score
- −17 Isopropyl Palmitate at #7, heavy comedogenic ester
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Fungal acne
Medium
53
- +100 Starting score
- −47 3 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Isopropyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Trideceth-9)
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Fabric stains
High
30
- +100 Starting score
- −45 Avobenzone at #4, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #2, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Balanced
LightNourishing
- ← 5 Volatile alcohol at #10
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Distarch Phosphate)
- → 10 Glycerin at #5, the anchor humectant
- → 0.5 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 3 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Distarch Phosphate)
- ← 1 Volatile alcohol at #10
- → 6 1 emollient lipids (C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
- → 4 1 slippy emollient esters (Isopropyl Palmitate)
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Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 2 Quick-setting carrier (alcohol at #10), fast, even canvas
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 1 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate)
- ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
- ← 1.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Full ingredient list (38)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.
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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
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Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 16 UV protection
- ↑ 22 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
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Legacy UV filter (Ensulizole), high in the list, a primary filter
- ↑ 14 UV protection
- ↑ 7 migrates into eyes with sweat
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Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone)
- ↑ 28.5 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 16 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 45 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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5 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 10 → nourishing the anchor humectant
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
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Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- ↑ 17 heavy comedogenic ester
- 4 → dewy slippy emollient ester
- ↑ 24 feeds malassezia
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Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 3 sebum-absorbing powder
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Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
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Volatile alcohol, a drying solvent that can sting eyes
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Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- 0.5 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
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Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
pH adjuster
-
14 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Colorant or pigment
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
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19 Ethylparaben
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
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Humectant, pulls water into the skin
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Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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23 Ubiquinone
Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin
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24 Citric Acid
pH adjuster
-
pH adjuster
-
pH adjuster
-
Botanical extract
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28 Trideceth-9
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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29 Yellow 6
Colorant or pigment
-
30 FD&C Red 40
Colorant or pigment
-
31 Bisabolol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Botanical extract
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
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38 Fragrance
Fragrance
Is Nivea Daily Protection Sun Lotion mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical sunscreen with an older-generation filter blend of Octocrylene, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.
Does the Nivea Daily Protection Sun Lotion SPF 33 PA +++ (New) leave a white cast?
No, white cast is rated low. The chemical filters sink in clear with a balanced finish on most skin tones.
Is Nivea Daily Protection Sun Lotion SPF 33 any good?
It scores 65.2/100 with moderate rated protection. It is a basic everyday lotion that is generally low on the pore-clogging scale, but its dated filters mean it is outclassed by more modern formulas.